Text: M. Zisso; Photo: Shubhranshu Chaudhary
On the occasion of the 99th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye, the Turkish Ambassador to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Egemen Bagis, along with Mrs. Beyhan N. Bagis, held a reception at the Grand Bohemia Boat in Prague.
In front of many Ambassadors, government officials, members of the Czech Parliament and Senate, and distinguished guests, H.E. Mr. Egemen Bagis greeted everyone in the name of Turkish President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his.
It is a great and fortunate coincidence that the two nations celebrate their national days one after another on the 28th and 29th of October. Allow me to express our sincere thanks to the military band of the Czech Defense Ministry, Director of the Ankara State Opera & Ballet Ms. Feryal Türkoğlu and the head pianist of this esteemed institution Ms. Esra Poyrazoğlu, for their performance of the Turkish and Czech national anthems.
October 29, 1923 marked the dawn of a new era for Turkey as the proclamation of the Republic was greeted with applause in our Parliament. The Republic‘s founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who led Turkey to victory in the War of Independence, was unanimously elected as our first President. Ever since the proclamation of the Republic, my country has achieved comprehensive and far-reaching political, economic and social reforms which have firmly anchored Turkey among the democratic and modern nations of the world.
After decades of peace, the conflict in Ukraine has once again brought war to Europe’s doorsteps. The repercussions of this war can be felt all across Europe and the world, as soaring inflation and the food and energy crisis impact everyone. It is times like this where humanity must work together to overcome shared challenges.
The main pillar of Turkish foreign policy is based on Atatürk’s visionary foresight ‘‘Peace at home, Peace abroad’’. Since the beginning of the war, Turkey has maintained a balanced position and worked hard to serve as a diplomatic outlet to bring the parties together. Through our cooperation with the United Nations, and under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, our country was able to broker the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which unblocked over 9 million tons of grain, which we hope will resume again soon. Turkey also mediated a prisoner swap, bringing more than two hundred Ukrainians and Russians home to their families. Our country hopes to build on this diplomatic success and work towards ensuring a ceasefire.
The common values that we share with the Czech Republic, coupled with common objectives on many foreign policy issues, constitute the essential ingredients of the cooperation between our two countries. Despite the pandemic, I am pleased to announce that bilateral trade between Turkey and Czechia will exceed the target of 5 billion USD by the end of this year.
There is every reason to believe that relationship between our countries will become even stronger in the years ahead.
It is an exceptional honor for me to express my heartfelt gratitude to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye, our War of Independence, martyrs and all our fallen heroes.
